Walthamstow is in the running to be named Britain’s first ever “walking neighbourhood” a part of a new public poll.

The Britain’s Best Walking Neighbourhood Award, launched by walking charity the Ramblers this year, has shortlisted ten areas it believes “put urban walkers first”.

Walthamstow was one of 10 places to make the final list, will be put to a public vote, alongside other contenders such as Hackney, Salford and Hastings.

Daniel Raven-Ellison, a guerrilla geographer and National Geographic explorer, is backing the nomination.

“Walthamstow Village is an outstanding example of a great walking neighbourhood,” he said.

“The village centre has been designed to be especially good for both walking and cycling through the recent Mini Holland project.

“Paths are deep and traffic has been calmed, allowing shops and culture to spill out into the street and making the village a more tranquil and enjoyable place to spend time in and going through.

“It's a great example of how the heart of a community can be transformed.”

The Ramblers has called on local authorities to urban areas better-designed for walking after statistics showed 20 million adults in the UK fail to meet government targets for physical exercise.

The charity wants to find Britain’s best walking neighbourhood to showcase towns and cities with well-connected pedestrian routes and green spaces that make it easy to reach shops, libraries, schools and transport links.

Chief executive of the Ramblers, Vanessa Griffiths, said: “The ten neighbourhoods shortlisted for our award have been designed or improved to prioritise people on foot.

“We’re celebrating these areas, and asking more local authorities to think about how they could make small changes in design to improve walkability, to help improve the health and wellbeing of residents.”

For more information or to cast your vote for Walthamstow, click here.